Energy
press releases.

Energy10 Aug 2023

Study ties fracking to another type of shaking

New research confirms fracking causes slow, small earthquakes or tremors, whose origin was previously a mystery to scientists. The tremors are produced by the same processes that could create large, damaging earthquakes. Fracking is the high-pressure injection of fluids underground to extract oil and natural gas. Though it is typically done with wastewater, this study examined data from fracking with liquid carbon dioxide. The process pushes carbon underground and keeps it from trapping heat in Earth’s atmosphere. By some estimates, carbon dioxide fracking could save as much ...

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Energy9 Aug 2023

AuNi alloy on Au electrodes for hydrogen evolution reaction: towards a cleaner tomorrow

In recent years, hydrogen gas has gained momentum as the fuel for a clean and green future. This carbon-neutral fuel source releases huge amounts of energy via combustion in the presence of oxygen with water vapor as the by-product. One of the most popular methods of hydrogen production is the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. An electrochemical cell is used to split water, and the hydrogen gas gets released at the negatively charged electrode in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Catalysts are used to lower the ...

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Energy9 Aug 2023

Electric car revolution puts Native communities at risk

Conditions are ripe for an accelerated transition to electric vehicle (EV) use in the United States. The Biden-Harris administration has set a target that 50 percent of newly purchased cars in 2030 be electric. In addition, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides significant tax incentives for purchasing electric vehicles and for companies that produce them. And that is good news for environmental justice (EJ), says Lisa Benjamin, author of a paper called “EVs as EJ?” forthcoming in Harvard Environment Law Review. Benjamin, associate professor of law at Lewis & Clark Law School, details all of the positive impacts of EVs ...

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Energy7 Aug 2023

US Department of Energy announces $37 million to build research capacity at historically underrepresented institutions

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $37 million in funding for 52 projects to 44 institutions to build research capacity, infrastructure, and expertise at institutions historically underrepresented in DOE’s Office of Science portfolio, including Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs). Through the Funding for Accelerated, Inclusive Research (FAIR) initiative, the Office of Science is supporting mutually beneficial relationships between MSIs/ERIs and partnering institutions to perform basic research in applied mathematics, biology, chemistry, ...

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Energy7 Aug 2023

Uncovering the Auger-Meitner effect’s crucial role in electron energy loss

Defects often limit the performance of devices such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The mechanisms by which defects annihilate charge carriers are well understood in materials that emit light at red or green wavelengths, but an explanation has been lacking for such loss in shorter-wavelength (blue or ultraviolet) emitters. Researchers in the Department of Materials at UC Santa Barbara, however, recently uncovered the crucial role of the Auger-Meitner effect, a mechanism that allows an electron to lose energy by kicking another electron up to a higher-energy state. “It is well known that defects or ...

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Energy3 Aug 2023

MSU scientists help discover the highest-energy light coming from the sun

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Sometimes, the best place to hide a secret is in broad daylight. Just ask the sun. “The sun is more surprising than we knew,” said Mehr Un Nisa, a postdoctoral research associate at Michigan State University. “We thought we had this star figured out, but that’s not the case.” Nisa, who will soon be joining MSU’s faculty, is the corresponding author of a new paper in the journal Physical Review Letters that details the discovery of the highest-energy ...

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Energy3 Aug 2023

Ferroelectric material is now elastic

A research group led by Prof. LI Runwei at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have proposed a "slight crosslinking" method that imparts elastic recovery to ferroelectric materials. The study was published in Science. Ferroelectric materials are very useful for applications such as data storage and processing, sensing, energy conversion, and optoelectronics, etc., making them highly desirable in mobile phones, tablets and other ...

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Energy2 Aug 2023

True shape of lithium revealed for the first time in UCLA research

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries power smartphones, electric vehicles and storage for solar and wind energy, among other technologies. They descend from another technology, the lithium-metal battery, that hasn’t been developed or adopted as broadly. There’s a reason for that: While lithium-metal batteries have the potential to hold about double the energy that lithium-ion batteries can, they also present a far greater risk of catching fire or even exploding. Now, a study by members of the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA reveals a fundamental discovery that could lead to safer lithium-metal ...

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Energy1 Aug 2023

Cracking in lithium-ion batteries speeds up electric vehicle charging

Aug. 1, 2023 Contact: Derek Smith, 734-546-3632, smitdere@umich.edu Katherine McAlpine, 734-647-7087, kmca@umich.edu Images Cracking in lithium-ion batteries speeds up electric vehicle charging Cracks in predominant lithium-ion electrodes shorten battery lifespans, but a neuroscience-inspired technique shows that they have an upside ANN ARBOR—Rather than being solely detrimental, cracks in the positive electrode of lithium-ion batteries reduce battery charge time, research done at the University of Michigan shows. This runs counter to the view of many ...

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Energy31 Jul 2023

MIT engineers create an energy-storing supercapacitor from ancient materials

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Two of humanity's most ubiquitous historical materials, cement and carbon black (which resembles very fine charcoal), may form the basis for a novel, low-cost energy storage system, according to a new study. The technology could facilitate the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and tidal power by allowing energy networks to remain stable despite fluctuations in renewable energy supply. The two materials, the researchers found, can be combined with water to make a supercapacitor — an alternative to batteries — ...

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Energy31 Jul 2023

Nuclear spin's impact on biological processes uncovered

A research team led by Prof. Yossi Paltiel at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with groups from HUJI, Weizmann and IST Austria new study reveals the influence of nuclear spin on biological processes. This discovery challenges long-held assumptions and opens up exciting possibilities for advancements in biotechnology and quantum biology. Scientists have long believed that nuclear spin had no impact on biological processes. However, recent research has shown that certain isotopes behave differently due to their nuclear spin. The team focused on stable oxygen isotopes (16O, 17O, 18O) and found ...

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Energy27 Jul 2023

FAMU-FSU researchers advance electric vehicle battery safety with new energy absorption design

Researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering are improving the safety and performance of electric vehicles through a new design that protects their batteries. Their design uses tubes filled with paraffin wax, which is a type of phase change material, or PCM. These materials are commonly used to store and dissipate heat, making them useful for protecting a battery from overheating. The researchers’ new method uses PCM-filled tubes in another way, exploring their application as protection against ...

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Energy26 Jul 2023

Breakthrough in solid-state storage innovates how biological materials are stored and handled

Scientists have developed a novel method for storing biological materials such as RNA and proteins in a solid-state. The storage in solid-state resembles the form of a pill or a tablet, which dissolves in water for on-demand use. The innovation provides a new way to overcome current limitations in the storage and handling of products derived from living cells used for a variety of health care and scientific research purposes. Biological materials that are frequently used in developing new medicines and diagnostic testing tools such as mRNA, enzymes, and antibodies are highly ...

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Energy26 Jul 2023

DOE announces $33 million to advance energy research across America

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $33 million to support 14 clean-energy research projects as part of a program to ensure the Department’s research funding is reaching pockets of the country that traditionally have received disproportionally low amounts of Federal scientific funding. The projects will cover a range of topics—including grid integration, renewable solar and wind energy, and advanced manufacturing. Today’s funding will help ensure all regions of the country share in the ownership of priority research that advances science and addresses energy ...

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Energy26 Jul 2023

A study outlines the optimal strategy for accelerating the energy transition in China

China has set itself the goal of reaching its peak of carbon dioxide emissions in 2030 and thereafter to reduce emissions to reach carbon neutrality by 2060. To achieve this, it needs to increase photovoltaic (PV) and wind power to 10-15 petawatt hours (PWh) by 2060. However, according to historical installation rates and a recent high-resolution energy-system-model and forecasts based on China's 14th Five-Year Energy Development Programme (CFEDP), the capacity of China for producing non-fossil-fuel energy will reach a maximum of only 9.5 PWh per year by 2060. Now, an international study with the participation ...

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Energy25 Jul 2023

Department of Energy announces $4.6 million for research on public-private partnership awards to advance fusion energy

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $4.6 million in funding for 18 projects at national laboratories and U.S. universities. The awards are provided through the Innovation Network for Fusion Energy, or INFUSE, program, which was established in 2019. The program is sponsored by the Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program office within DOE’s Office of Science and is focused on accelerating fusion energy development through public-private research partnerships. “The latest round of INFUSE selections demonstrates the growing interest from private industry in partnering with national laboratories and U.S. universities,” said Jean ...

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Energy25 Jul 2023

A nano switchable polar column system that allows high-density data storage

In today’s world of digital information, an enormous amount of data is exchanged and stored on a daily basis. In the 1980s, IBM unveiled the first hard drive—which was the size of a refrigerator—that could store 1 GB of data, but now we have memory devices that have a thousand-fold greater data-storage capacity and can easily fit in the palm of our hand. If the current pace of increase in digital information is any indication, we require yet newer data recording systems that are lighter, have low environmental impact, and, most importantly, have higher data storage density. Recently, a new class of materials called axially ...

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Energy20 Jul 2023

Department of Energy releases draft request for proposals for the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Management and Operating Contract Competition

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the release of a Draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for the selection of a management and operating (M&O) contractor for the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL). DOE is soliciting public feedback on the draft RFP. Interested parties are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to provide comments regarding the draft contract performance requirements. The draft RFP will be open for public comment until August ...

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Energy19 Jul 2023

3D/4D printed bio-piezoelectric smart scaffolds for next-generation bone tissue engineering

Piezoelectricity in native bones has been well recognized as the key factor in bone regeneration. However, the current additive-manufactured scaffolds mainly focus on the reconstruction of bionic topological structure and mechanical microenvironment, while the crucial electrical microenvironment (EM) in bone regeneration is neglected. Piezoelectricity in native bones has been well recognized as the key factor in bone regeneration. However, the current additive-manufactured scaffolds mainly focus on the ...

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Energy19 Jul 2023

Consortium explores energy-efficient electronics and photonics

The University of Texas at Arlington is part of a new consortium funded by the Department of Energy that involves the development of new technologies and college courses covering everything from radiation detection to nuclear engineering. The grant also will help UTA develop 2D materials that can be integrated into new hand-held photonic technologies with multiple uses. Electrical Engineering Professor Weidong Zhou and Associate Professor Alice Sun will use the five-year, $1.8 million grant to work with collaborators at UT Arlington, University of North Texas, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, ...

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Energy18 Jul 2023

Dry manufacturing process offers path to cleaner, more affordable high-energy EV batteries

The lithium-ion batteries used to power electric vehicles are key to a clean energy economy. But their electrodes are usually made using a wet slurry with toxic solvents, an expensive manufacturing approach that poses health and environmental risks. Early experiments at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have revealed significant benefits to a dry battery manufacturing process. This eliminates the solvent while showing promise for delivering a battery that is durable, less weighed down by inactive ...

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Energy18 Jul 2023

Researchers achieve historic milestone in energy capacity of supercapacitors

EL PASO, Texas (July 18, 2023) – In a new landmark chemistry study, researchers describe how they have achieved the highest level of energy storage — also known as capacitance — in a supercapacitor ever recorded. The study, led by Luis Echegoyen, Ph.D., professor emeritus at The University of Texas at El Paso, and Marta Plonska-Brzezinska, Ph.D., of the Medical University of Bialystok, Poland, was recently featured in the journal Scientific Reports, which is published by leading research publisher Nature Portfolios. Supercapacitors ...

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Energy18 Jul 2023

Unlocking human-level capabilities: GPT-4 empowers data mining for building energy management

The building sector is a significant contributor to global energy consumption, accounting for approximately 33% of the world's final energy usage. Recently, data mining technologies have showed powerful capacities for revealing energy waste and providing energy-saving tips to building owners. These technologies have the ability to save approximately 15%-30% of the energy consumed in buildings. However, the practical application of data mining technologies has been limited due to its labor-intensive nature, resulting in a scarcity of real-world use cases. In a study published in the KeAi journal Energy and Built Environment, ...

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Energy14 Jul 2023

Liverpool chemist wins prestigious Eni Energy Frontiers Award

Professor Matt Rosseinsky, from the University’s Department of Chemistry and Materials Innovation Factory, has won the 2023 Eni Energy Frontiers Award for the digital design and discovery of next-generation energy materials. A globally-prestigious prize for research in the fields of energy and environment, previous Eni Award winners include Nobel laureates such as Harold W. Kroto and Alan Heeger. Professor Rosseinsky’s research is pushing new boundaries in how new energy materials are designed and discovered through the use of digital tools. For the past 50 years, the scientific approach ...

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Energy14 Jul 2023

Coordination could spare billions in grid upgrade costs and accelerate electrification

The electric grids of the future will need to handle much bigger loads due to electrification of transportation and other sectors. This could mean expensive infrastructure upgrades to ensure their reliable operation, but a new study from Stanford University says most of those upgrades may be unnecessary. Better grid reliability could be achieved instead by installing software in homes and businesses that coordinates various consumer demands and resources. Such coordination not only improves reliability of the electric grid, but also ...

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